The Stingaree nightclub in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter is 22,000 square feet spread over three levels. It has an indoor waterfall, a DJ booth suspended over the dance floor, a roof deck “oasis” with fire pits and, on most weekend nights, a line stretching around the block. The average bar tab at one of the 50-odd tables, its owner says, is $1,300.

An
msn.com
poll of the nation's top new clubs ranked Stingaree at No. 5.
Conde Nast Traveler
put Stingaree on its 2007 Hot List of the country's best nightspots.

It's also where Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman was with reality TV star Tila Nguyen, known more widely as Tila Tequila, on Saturday night before they returned to his Poway home and she accused him of choking, restraining and throwing her to the ground. Merriman, who was arrested based on her citizen's complaint, said he was trying to keep her from driving drunk.

Stingaree, according to court records, is where Chargers linebacker Steve Foley was drinking for 3½ hours in 2006 before he drove to his Poway home and was shot in an altercation with an off-duty Coronado police officer.

It's where another Chargers linebacker, Shaun Phillips, reportedly choked and punched a security guard in April — an incident Stingaree management insists did not involve Phillips and was “blown way out of proportion.” Misdemeanor battery charges were dropped.

And it's where San Diego State basketball player Lorrenzo Wade was last year before he was accused of stealing a television in his apartment complex, charges that were later dropped.

Four publicized incidents involving prominent San Diego athletes. Same nightclub.

“There's no way there's a cause and effect,” said James Brennan, the majority owner of Stingaree and several other San Diego nightclubs. “The Merriman and Foley incidents, they happened two hours after our club was dark and shut down, and they happened 30 miles away. If there are 2,000 people at a nightclub, any nightclub, when they dissipate and go home, things can happen.

“We can't control what our clients do after they leave. What we can control is that while they are here, they're safe and they're not overserved (with alcohol). And that's whether they are a Charger or my mailman.”

“For me it's simple,” Brennan said. “No. 1, it's a lack of options. ... It is the No. 1 club probably in all of California and certainly in San Diego. And No. 2, it's where the girls are.

“Most of these guys are ... looking to go out and do what celebrities and athletes do. Which is take advantage of who they are.”

Patrick Dillon, 30, owner of the local clothing company Collar Free who is active on the downtown scene, agreed that the appeal of Stingaree for some Chargers is likely its style, its crowds and the VIP treatment they get.

“They know they can go and get 12 girls on their arm on a consistent basis,” Dillon said.

Others said some of the allure is a penthouse where VIPs can watch the action below while being protected from it — with their own bodyguard stationed outside.

As of early September, San Diego police had received about 75 calls for service at Stingaree this year, about two a week. The calls stemmed from lost or stolen wallets and purses, a few fights and people who were drunk in public. Sixteen calls led to arrests.

“We don't consider this to be a lot of calls for a location which has a lot of customers, and we don't consider it a problem location,” police spokeswoman Mónica Muñoz said.

The 2008 Chargers media guide said Merriman owns a small part of Stingaree. Brennan declined to confirm that.

On a typical Friday or Saturday night, Brennan said there might be “two, three or four Chargers” at Stingaree, which opened in 2005 at 454 Sixth Ave. and has a capacity of about 1,300 people. The club is not shy in revealing that, either, with Twitter postings touting which celebrities are there.

At the “San Diego Prom Night” that Stingaree hosted in 2008, Chargers receivers Vincent Jackson and Kassim Osgood were part of the official “prom court.” In an interview with
San Diego Happy Hour Magazine
, linebacker Stephen Cooper was asked his favorite nightclub, and he listed Stingaree first.

But it's not as if the Chargers only have one hot spot. Phillips and Osgood both had their birthday parties at the Hard Rock Hotel downtown, a hotel official said.

Several Chargers players who were asked about Stingaree declined to discuss it, including Merriman. Dick Lewis, the team's director of security, did not return phone messages.

The attraction of dance clubs such as Stingaree, those close to the players say, is it provides a level of comfort and protection they might not receive at smaller facilities. Stingaree's exclusive mezzanine level overlooks the main floor and, its Web site says, allows “discerning guests a comfortable perch from which to survey the action.”

“The mezzanine area is very secluded,” said Ariadna Jacob, the founder and CEO of Red Rope Reviews, a Web site that purports to offer unbiased reviews for local nightlife. “Of all the clubs in San Diego, at Stingaree I think the Chargers players feel like they are still in a club but they can hide in the back and feel like no one is bothering them.”

Brennan says Chargers players don't pay the cover charge, which is typically $20 on Fridays and Saturdays, and often are given access to the mezzanine level. But he insists they buy their own food and drinks.

“I don't comp any of those guys,” said Brennan, a University of San Diego alumnus and an active supporter of its basketball program. “They pay like everyone else does. If Paris Hilton comes in, does she pay? No. If Jamie Foxx shows up unannounced and sings a few songs, does he pay? No. It really depends on what level of celebrity they are, but if they're an athlete or they're not the A-list Hollywood celebrity, they're not getting comped.”

Added Jacob: “The clubs are stoked when (Chargers players) come out, because they spend the most money.”

Stingaree, like most high-end clubs, offers “bottle service,” which provides a liter of alcohol plus glasses, ice and mixers for about $350; on most Saturdays, there's a two-bottle minimum at tables.

“These guys are in their mid-20s, make a lot of money and they're single,” Brennan said. “What are they supposed to do? Stay home and play Wii?”